The Senate Republican Campaign Committee is criticizing state Sen. Jimmy Dillon for social media posts on Hoops 24-7, but Dillon is denying writing the tweets.
Dillon, who is running for re-election, owns the Hoops 24-7 Basketball Academy.
The SRCC cited five Hoops 24-7 posts on Twitter, now X. A post in 2011 tells someone to “stop being gay.” Another post in 2011 references “Chinese dudes.” Posts in 2012 and 2013 use the term “nigga.” A post in 2015 mentions “Chinese torture treatment.”
“The revelation of Jimmy Dillon’s past use of the n-word is unsettling,” said SRCC Executive Director Cody Harbaugh. “Let’s be clear, this was not a teenager making a mistake or a single comment taken out of context. This was a grown man in his 30s casually using the n-word and making disgusting jokes repeatedly on his social media. We can only wonder what Jimmy Dillon is saying behind closed doors if this is the kind of language he’ll post publicly for the world to see.
“And African Americans aren’t the only ones subject to his offensive slurs and remarks. Dillon has made disparaging comments about the LGBT and Asian communities. Based on his past actions, the residents of Northeast Philadelphia have serious reason to question Jimmy Dillon’s ability to be an unbiased legislator who represents ALL people in the Northeast. His behavior is disqualifying, period. We call on Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa and the Senate Democrat Campaign Committee to swiftly condemn Jimmy Dillon and his use of vile slurs and remarks.”
But Dillon, his campaign and the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee said in statements that the lawmaker never wrote those posts.
“As a coach, I work with kids to teach them how to play basketball and learn skills both on and off the court. I’m not a big social media guy. If a basketball player who works with Hoops 24-7 posted something like this more than a decade ago, it’s the first I’ve heard about it, and it doesn’t reflect my values. My focus has been and will continue to be standing up to MAGA extremists and protecting women’s reproductive rights. Nothing changes that,” Dillon said.
Dillon’s campaign released a statement that said, “This is a typical, phony MAGA Republican distraction. They’re taking decades old tweets someone else wrote and waving them around like a bunch of maniacs. Meanwhile, they’re hoping we’re too dumb to notice that, at the same time, they’re trying to rip away women’s reproductive rights, prevent access to IVF treatments, and block commonsense gun violence legislation. Sorry weirdos. It’s not happening.
“This election is about what kind of Northeast Philadelphia we want to live in. Do we want one that’s run by MAGA con artists who are dead set on ripping up women’s reproductive rights? Or do we want one that’s run by the people who are from here and are working for our families every day?”
Brittany Crampsie, speaking for the SDCC, said Dillon did not send the posts and does not manage the account. In her statement, she said, “Senator Dillon’s record speaks for itself. At every opportunity, he has been a strong advocate and consistent vote in support of Black and LGBTQ Pennsylvanians. He has nurtured and trained young people from all backgrounds his entire career. Distasteful tweets from more than a decade ago written by someone else don’t change that.”
However, the SRCC pointed to other posts seemingly posted by Dillon, including one of him pictured at Game 5 of the 2022 World Series.
“Here are more tweets to prove that Senator Jimmy Dillon was in fact running the account back then and recently. He’s posted numerous tweets in the first-person on this account and retweeted official and campaign content as well,” the SRCC said in a statement.
Dillon faces Republican Joe Picozzi. ••
